Nest for fowls



WILLIAM F. MAURER, OF HARMONY, INDIANA.

NEST FOR FOWLS.

SPECIFICATION formngpart of Letters Patent No. 619,595, dated February 14, 1899.

Application fled August I8, 1898. Serial No. 688.084. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM FREEMAN MAURER, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Harmony, Olay county, State of Indiana, have invented certain new and usef ul Improvements in Nests and my preferred manner of carrying out the invention is set forth in the following full, clear, and exact description, terminating with claims particularly specifying the novelty.

This invention relates to the care of live stock, and more especially to that class of devices known as hens nests; and the object of the same is to produce a nest of this character having a swinging door which closes as the fowl enters and is readily opened as she leaves the nest, so as to reset the device for the next hen. 1

To this end the invention consists in the details of construction hereinafter fully described and as illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein- Figure 1 is a perspective view of this nest in use, showing the position of the fowl while sitting thereon, the cover being removed for this purpose. Fig. 2 is a front elevation of the nest set or ready for the entrance of the hen. swinging door may be made extensible to vary the size of the inlet. Fig. 4 is a vertical section of the front of the nest, taken through the pivot.

Referring by numerals to the drawings, 1 designates the front of the nest-box, which front preferably inclines forwardly at the top, as shown, while the body of the box preferably has solid sides and back 2 for a distance from the bottom upward, above which it is slatted, as at 3. The cover et is rendered removable in any suitable manner, as by a button 5 on the top of the front strip, which button herein serves an additional function, as set forth below. The front is preferably solid for about the same distance upward as the ends and sides, above which it is open to receive the door, hereinafter described,and this solid lower portion of the nest-box obviously receives the hay, straw, or other nesting inaterial, as usual, while the slatted upper part of the box gives light and air to the interior and the fowl therein.

Fig. 3 is a detail showing how the Although right and left as designated herein are obviously interchangeable, I will describe the device as shown. In Fig. 2 the left half of the front is closed by a thin strip 10, as of tin or the like, and the right half constitutes the inlet. Located within the latter is a swinging door, comprising a heavier portion or gate '11 and a lighter portion or wing 12, secured to the gate in such manner as to lie against the face of the strip 10 when the nest is set. Each part 11 and 12 is preferably out away, as at 13, at its upper outer corner, as shown. Seated in the upper and lower edges of the gate, near its inner end, are stubshafts or trunnions 14, on and by which the door entire is journaled, the upper trunnion entering a hole 15 beneath the button 5, described above, and the lower trunnion being adapted to be passed alonga transverse groove 16 in the upper edge of the front 1 until it can be dropped into a socket or bearing 17 therein. When in place, this lower trunnion rests at its extremity on a nail-head or other hard bearing-surface 18 at the bottom of the socket 1'7 to prevent wear, and the distance between the outer ends of the two trunnions is just such that at this time the button 5 can be turned over the upper one to prevent the rise of the door out of place and also the removal of the cover 4:.

2 0 designates a guide, which I sometimes employ with advantage, and it consists of a strip pivoted or screwed to the right end of the nest-box adjacent the inlet.

21 is a leg pivoted at 22 to the rear lower corner of the left end of the box and having a notched outer end 23, adapted when in use to engage the lower end of the front, as seen in Fig. 1, while when not in use this leg is turned up to the position shown in dotted lines in this view, its'shape being such that at that time no part of it touches the ground or support.

In Fig. 3 is shown a modification which I sometimes employ. It consists in detaching the outer end 111 of the gate 11 and reattaching it removably, as by screws 112, to the body of the gate, and also in providing several pairs of bearings 150 for the trunnions 14, as indicated in dotted lines in Fig. 2.

All parts of this nest-box are of the desired IOO sizes, shapes, materials, and constructionsave as above particularly set forth, and considerable change in the details may be made without departing from the spirit of my invention.

In use the outer end lll is attached or detached or a shorter or longer piece applied at this point, according to the size it is desired the inlet shall be, which is regulated by the size of fowl it is desired may enter the box. The guide 20, if used, is turned out, as seen in Fig. l, and the leg 2l, if used, is employed to make the box set level on inclined ground, or, if necessary, to tip up the left side of the box slightly. The nesting material is then inserted, the cover 4 applied and fastened, and the box placed in a convenient and attractive position-possibly with a nest-egg in the nest proper. The parts standing as seen in Fig. 2, a hen approaches and sees the nestegg through the slats. She then investigates and finally discovers the opening above the cut-away portion 13 of the gate ll. Pushing her head into it, she turns the entire door slightly on its trunnions, and with a slightlyfurther push she opens the inlet. Probably she then hops up onto the upper edge of the front l and, pushing on, she finally turns the door sufficiently to swing the gate ll beyond the center of gravity, when the wing l2 turns around behind her and she hops down into the nest over which the gate swings freely. The wing 12 immediately closes the inlet, and the entrance of other fowls is prevented. After laying her egg in peace and privacy she rises and discovers the opening above the cutaway portion 13 of the wing, which at this time stands across the inlet. Pushing her head thereinto the same operation is repeated, except that it occurs in the opposite direction, and as she emerges from the box the gate closes in behind her toits original position. The guide is obviously useful for causing her in her exit to necessarily pass straight out the opening; otherwise she might hop down obliquely to the right and not swing the door beyond its center of gravity to cause it to turn back to a set position for the next operation. The leg is useful for truing up the box to a level on uneven ground, or, if the balance of the door requires, for tilting the box slightly to the right to cause it to work successfully at all times. Obviously there could be a similar leg at the other end of the box if found advisable. The extension lll of the gate is for adjusting its size, and the additional holes or bearings 150 are to be used at that time as the center of gravity requires. I find the leg especially useful in this connection, because the addition or subtraction of weight to or from the door as normally used will often destroy the nicety of balance, which it must possess in order to work well. The button serves the twofold remove the door,this button is turned, the door raised bodily until its upper trunnion projects through the upper hole, and its lower trunnion is unseated. Then the latter is moved along the groove 16 and dropped to withdraw the upper trun nion,and linally the entire door is withdrawn from the box. It is replaced in position by a reversal of this operation. The strip 200, secured obliquely across the inside of the nest-box at the rear corner opposite the inlet, serves to prevent the fowl from entering without turning the door, as necessary to produce its proper operation.

What is claimed as new isl. In a nest, the combination with a frame; of a doormounted therein on an inclined pivot between its edges, that part of the door to one side of the pivot being heavier than that part to the other side, as and for the purpose set forth.

2. In a nest, the combination with an inclined wall having an opening and a thin p0rtion adjacent thereto; of a door comprising a heavier portion or gate pivoted within said opening, and a lighterportion or wing attached to the gate adjacent its pivot and standing against said thin portion of the wall when the gate stands within said opening, as and for the purpose set forth.

3. In a nest, the combination with a box having an inclined thin front wall with an inlet-opening through one side thereof, and bearings at top and bottom of said opening adjacent the edge of the wall; of a door pivoted between its edges on trunnions resting in said bearings and of substantially twice the width of the opening, one portion of said door being heavier than the other, as and for the purpose set forth.

4. In a nest, the combination with a box having an inclined front wall with an inletopening through one side thereof, and a gravity door pivoted in said opening to stand either open or closed; of a leg pivoted to one end of the box and adapted to be turned down to raise that endl or to be turned up out of contact with the support, as and for the purpose set forth.

5. In a nest, the combination with a box the lower part of whose front is solid and the upper part open, the top strip having a hole, a button above the same, the upper edge of the solid front having a socket, and a wearplate sunk into the latter; of a cover for the box held by said button, a swinging gate, and upright trunnions thereon respectively and removablyengaging said hole and socket, substantially as described.

G. In a nest, the combination with a box the lower part of whose front is solid and the upper part open at one side, the top strip having a central hole and the upper edge of the solid front having a socket with a groove from its mouth to one edge of the front piece; of a swinging door, and upright pivots at about its transverse center removably engaging said IOO IIO

hole and socket, one half of said door being in the opposite direction beyond the' trun-j heavier than the other, as and for the purpose nions, and an extension removably attached set forth. to its outer edge, substantially as set forth.

7. In a nest, the combination with an up- In testimony whereof I have hereunto sub- 5 right inclined Wall having an opening, and a scribed my signature on this the 5th day of 15 series of bearings at top and bottom of the August, A. D. 1898.

opening adjacent one edge thereof; ofaswing- WILLIAM F. MAURER. ing door comprising a heavier portion, trun- Witnesses: nions near the inner edge thereof, a lighter GEORGE E. KITCHEN,

Io portion attached to this edge and projecting JAMES BAROLAY. 

